The invention relates to a holding mechanism of a rotating member.
Heretofore, there has been known a mechanism wherein a leg member rotated around a rotating shaft is transferred between a stand-up state and a housed (lying-down) state. In such a mechanism, there has been proposed a holding mechanism for holding a rotating member, such as a leg member, in the stand-up state.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, in a holding mechanism 100, a leg member 106 is rotatably supported around a rotating shaft 104 by a main member 102. When the leg member 106 is rotated from the housed state (solid line portion) to the stand-up state (two-dotted chain line portion), a cut surface 104A of the rotating shaft 104 abuts against a plate spring 108 sandwiching the rotating shaft 104 to thereby engage the rotating shaft 104 (refer to the solid line state→the two-dotted chain line state, in FIG. 10). As a result, the leg member 106 is held in the stand-up state.
In addition to this, as shown in FIG. 11, there has been also known a holding mechanism 120 wherein a leg member 126 is rotatably supported around a rotating shaft 124 by a main member 122. Also, a leg member 126 is urged in the housing direction on a side of an arrow X1 relative to an intermediate position P, and the leg member 126 is urged in the stand-up direction on a side of an arrow X2 relative to the intermediate position P, by a turn-over spring 130 supported at both ends thereof by the leg member 126 and a supporting portion 128 on the main member. In other words, the leg member 126 is held in the stand-up state by the turn-over spring 130.
It is possible to process the shape (cut surface 104A and the like) of the shaft 104 of the holding mechanism 100 if the shaft is integrally made of a resin. However, since the rotating shaft 104 is made of the resin, in case the holding mechanism 100 is used as, for example, a stand for a deck board, there has been a defect such that the strength is not sufficient. On the other hand, in order to obtain sufficient strength, when the shaft is made of metal, the cost for cutting work of the cut surface becomes high.
Also, since the plate spring 108 abuts against the rotating shaft 104, an area of the main member 102 (hereinafter referred to as “holding portions”) rotationally supporting the rotating shaft 104 is reduced, so that the area will have an insufficient strength in the holding portion.
Further, depending on a portion of the rotating shaft 104 against which the plate spring 108 abuts, the plate spring 108 contracts or expands. Therefore, there has been a defect such that a space for the contraction and expansion of the plate spring 108 is required.
On the other hand, in case of the above holding mechanism 120, it is necessary to provide the supporting portion 128 for supporting one end of the turn-over spring 130 to the main member portion 122 at a position (the intermediate position P) where the urging direction of the turn-over spring 130 is reversed. Therefore, when the leg member 126 is in the housed state, the supporting portion 128 projects. Thus, there are defects such that the using condition and designing of the holding mechanism 120 are limited.
In view of the above defects, the present invention has been made and an object of the invention is to provide a holding mechanism of a rotating member, wherein a predetermined strength is obtained while holding a leg member in a stand-up state.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.